Closure for a bottle or the like



' Apr i121, 1931. J M JENSEN I 1,802,054

CLOSURE FOR A BOTTLE OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 28, 1928 2/3 gi /0775f Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES.

PATENT FFl CE JOSEPH M. JENSEN, or Los CALIFORNIA, nssmnon TO WESLEY M. BARRETT, V or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA CLOSURE ro n A BOTTLE on THE LIKE Application filed November 28, 1923. Serial in). 322,333.

This invention has to do with a closure for a bottle, or the like, and it is anobject of the invention to provide a construction particularly applicable to the crown type of bottle cap. c

It is a general objectof the present invention to provide a bottle cap with a sin1ple,inexpensive and effective means in the form of a valve device whereby material can be dispensed through the cap without detaching the cap from a bottle, or the like, to which it may be applied.

- An important object of-the invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned whichis of simple, inexpensive construction and at the same time dependable in operation. The device of the present invention, when in closed position, is tightly sealed and is such as to hold pressure in the container towhich the cap is applied. When the device is open material can be freely dispensed from the bottle or container.

A further object of the invention is to, pro-' vide an improved, practicaland'inexpensive means of finishing the relatively moving or cooperating parts of thevalve device so that they can be of inexpensive manufacture and at the same time fit tightly together so that the device'is tight and dependable in operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character .described having aminimum number of parts each of which is extremely simple and inexpensive of manufacture making the device commercially practical. V H c 7 The various ob'ects and features of the invention will be best andmore fully understood from the followingdetailed description of a typical form and of typical applications of the invention, throughout whichdescription reference is had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofthe neck por-' tion of abottle showing a typical crown cap provided with the present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 showing a detachable form ofcrovvn cap embodying the present invention. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectionalview illustrating I the device shown in Fig. 1 showing it in closed or sealed position. Fig.- 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the device open or lndispensing position. F ig. 5 is a detailed transverse sectional View taken as illustrated by line 55 on" Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan elevation taken as indicated by line 66 on Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 isa detailed sectional view of a portion of the device being a view taken as indicated by line 77 on Fig. 4.

The present invention is, in its broader aspects, applicable to various constructions, however, in the preferred and. commercial embodiment of the invention it is: applied to the crown type of bottle closure, this type of closure being the most common and popular type of closure in'general use. In practice crown type bottle closures or caps are used on bottles containing a variety'of inaterials, for instance they are commonly used on bottles containing beverages of various kinds, and on bottles containing various household commodities; Thev present invention is useful as applied to caps used on bottles containing beverages, particularly carbonated beverages. bonated beverages the present invention can be usedin dispensing the beverages so that pressure generated within the container discharges the fiuid at ahigh velocity in a inanne'r to effectively mix with other beverages into which it may be discharged. In the case of various household commodities such as flavorings, sauces, etc., the invention can be applied to advantage to dispense such materials in relatively small quantities, that is under control of the person handling the bottle. V

To facilitate an understanding of the invention I will confine the following detailed description to a. simple, practical form of the invention and will describe it as applied to the ordinary or popular form. of crown type. In Fig. l of the drawings I illustrate a crown cap 10 applied to the neck 11 of a bottle, and I have shown the construction provided by this invention embodied'in the cap -IO.' -The neck 11 of the bottle is of the ordinary type having a bead 12 at its upper end :to receive the crown cap 10. The crown cap 10 illustrated inFigs. 1, 3, 4 and 6 of In the'case of car-' the drawings is formed of sheet metal and has a flat top 13 and a downwardly extending peri heral flange 14 crimped at 15 to grip the ead 12 of the bottle neck. The cap is provided with a washer 16, usually of cork or the like, to engage between the top 13 of the cap and the neck of the bottle to make a fluid tight joint or connection.

The cap 10 illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings is a detachable type of crown cap in which the crimped portion 15 of the peripheral flange carries a clamping band 17 operable by a clamping lever 18 to clamp the crimped portion 15 onto the bead of a bottle. This is a common and well-known type of cap often used in place of the type of crown cap first described. The advantage of the detachable type of crown cap is that it may be removed and replaced on a bottle whenever desired and is tight on the bottle when applied thereto, whereas the first described type of crown cap cannot ordinarily be reapplied to a bottle when once removed.

The construction provided by my present invention includes, generally, a valve 20, a s out 21 in connection with the valve, and a plate 22 cooperating with the top of the cap to hold the valve 20.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention the valve 20 is in the form of a ball valve, that is it is spherically curved, and its exterior or outer surface is finished so that it is truly spherical and smooth. The spout 21 is preferably straight as shown in the drawings, and is provided with a central longitudinal opening 23. In accordance with the invention, the opening 23 continues from the spout through the valve 20 so that it opens at the outer surface of the valve at a point diametrically opposite the spout 21. In accordance with the preferred form of the invention the spout 21 is formed integral with the valve 20, the spout 21 and valve 20 forming a unit which is extremely simple of formation and suitable for manufacture with automatic machinery.

The plate 22 is preferably a flat sheet metal part carried at the under or inner side of the cap top 13. In accordance with the invention the plate 22 is in the form of a disk, preferably a round disk, and the top 13 is recessed or countersunk as at to receive the plate. In the preferred construction the recess 30 in the top 13 is formed by pressing the top into the form shown throughout the drawin so that the recess 30 corresponds in depth to the thickness of the plate 22. The plate seats or fits tightly in the recess so that its lower face 31 is flush with the inner or lower face 32 of the cap top 13. This forms a flat continuous face in the cap carrying the washer 16. Further, in accordance withthe invention the plate is fitted tightly or made tight in the recess 30, for instance the top of the cap and the plate may be shaped and proportioned so that the plate is made tight by being pressed into seated engagements in the recess 30. In the drawings I have shown the top 13 formed with a projection 35 at the edge of the recess 30. This projection is adapted to engage the peripheral portion of the plate 22 in a manner to grip and hold the plate in the recess.

The plate 22 and the top 13 of the cap cooperate to hold the valve 20. To this end a concave depression is formed in the lower or inner side of the cap 10, while a corresponding depression 41 is formed in the plate 22 to form a chamber between the top 13 and plate 22 shaped to accurately receive the valve 20. This valve 20 being spherical in form, the depressions 40 and 41 are shaped so that they cooperate to form a spherical chamber to carry the valve. In the preferred arrangement the depressions 40 and 41 are located centrally in the cap, the depression 40 being formed by pressing the central portion of the top 13 upwardly, as shown throughout the drawings, and the depression 41 is formed by pressing the central portion of the plate 22 downwardly, as shown in the drawings.

The upwardly pressed part of the top 13 forming the depression 40 is rovided with an opening in the form oil a slot which passes the spout 21. The spout 21 fits the slot 50 so that it can be moved a suitable distance, say, for instance, between positions such as are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, thus causing the valve 20 to be turned between the top of the cap and the plate 22. It will be apparent that the slot 50 can be pro portioned to give the spout a large angular movement and that the particular direction of movement of the valve between the top 13 and plate 22 will be controlled by the configuration of the slot. In practice it is preferred to form a straight slot 50, as shown in F ig 6 of the drawings, in which case the va ve has a simple rocking or oscillating movement.

The downwardly depressed portion of the plate 22 forming the depression 41 is providedwith an opening or port 53 adapted to register with the opening 23 extending through the spout 21 and valve 20 when the parts are-positioned in a manner such as is shown in Fig. 4. In the preferred form of the invention the washer 16 is annular in form and the depressed portion of the plate 22 projects downwardly through the opening in the washer so that the port 53 has direct communication with the interior of the bottle and is not interfered with by the washer. lVith the arrangement of parts provided by the invention, the bottle is tightly sealed or closed when the spout and valve are positioned as shown in Fig. 3, while there is an opening into the interior of the bottle when the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 4 the opening being through the port 53 and opening 51.

The present invention is intended to provide a construction commercially practical and capable of inexpensive manufacture. The parts cooperating to efiect the seal, that is the plate 22 having the depression and the valve 20, may, when produced by inexpensive methods of manufacture, be more or less inaccurate, which inaccuracies might result in leakage.

The invention overcomes the difficulties that might thus arise through inperfect formation of parts, providing a plating or coating of material on one or both of the cooperating parts, for instance on the surface of the depression 41 and/or on the surface of the valve 20. This coating is preferably a thin coating of a soft or conforming metal, it being preferred to use metal or metal alloy which will not corrode or be attacked by ordinary products. By thus coating the surface of the depression 11 and the outer surface of the valve 20, tight sealing engagement is established between these parts when the device is assembled by tightly seating the plate 22 in the depresssion 30 in the top of the cap. It is to be understood, of course that the parts are proportioned so that the valve 20 is gripped or clamped with moreor less pressure between the plate 22 and top 13 holding the surface of the valve and the wall of the depression 31 in close or sealing engagement. It will be apparent that thecoating of soft metal above referred to may be comparatively thin, it being necessary merely to compensate for slight imperfections or inaccuracies in the parts.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a construction that can be applied to a bottle cap at very little cost and can be used commercially without interfering with capping devices ordinarily used in applying bottle caps. Further, it will be apparent that the device can be used on containers or bottles carrying various products. In this connection it is to be pointed out that the, proportioning of the parts, that is the size of the valve and the size of the opening 23 through the valve 20 and spout 21 may be varied, depending upon the character of the product to be dispensed, it being apparent that in some cases a small opening will be required while in other cases a large opening will be required. In the former case the valve may be comparatively small in diameter, while in the latter case it may be necessary to make a valve comparatively large in diameter. It is to be particularly noted that the invention provides only two parts in addition to those ordinarily involved in a crown cap, namely the unit forming the valve and spout and the place which cooperates with the top of the cap to hold the valve and spout. These parts are obviously simple and inexpensive in formation making the device inexpensive of manufacture and commercially practical.

Having described only a typical preferred form and typical applications of the invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a bottle cap, a spherical valve, and a plate having a flange attached to the cap and a depressed part carrying the valve, the cap having a flat top with a recess holding the flange of the plate.

2. In combination, a bottle cap having a flat top with a recess in its inner side and a central depression in its inner side, a spherical valve, and a plate having a flat flange tightly carried in the recess and having a central depression cooperating with the depression in the top to carry the valve.

3. In combination, a bottle cap having a flat top with a recess in its inner side and a central depression in its inner side, a spherical valve having a projecting spout, and a plate having a flat flange tightly carried in the recess and having a central depression c'ooperating with the depression in the top to carry the valve, the top having an opening passing the spout and the plate having an opening cooperating with an opening in the valve.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of November, 1928.

JOSEPH M. JENSEN. 

